P39.8B allotted for calamities
THE PHILIPPINE government has set aside P39.8 billion in its disaster fund this year to respond to calamities, a congressman said on Sunday.
In a statement, House Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Marcelino C. Libanan said Congress hiked by 90% the allotted disaster response fund for 2026 from P21 billion set last year, in a move aimed at strengthening the government’s capacity to respond to calamities in the disaster-prone nation.
The Philippines is among the world’s most disaster-prone countries. It is hit by an average of 20 typhoons a year, and a 2017 World Bank report estimates the country suffers $3.5 billion (P206 billion) in annual asset losses from storms and earthquakes.
Mr. Libanan said the government has P15.3 billion allotted for rehabilitation programs for local government units, P12.5 billion earmarked for repairs and construction of disaster-related facilities, and P11 billion set aside for direct aid and relief to affected communities.
Another P1 billion has been allotted for disaster adaptation programs under the government’s “People Survival Fund,” he added.
“The disaster-response funds cover natural and human-induced calamities, epidemics as declared by the Department of Health, crises from armed conflicts, insurgency, terrorism, and other catastrophes,” he said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
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